


After the Fall

by DaisyDogOx



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:41:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24010732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaisyDogOx/pseuds/DaisyDogOx
Summary: Just because they'd all watched their professor go over that cliff didn't mean they all believed she was dead. Dimitri was certain she was still alive and waiting for them to find her.And yet nothing could have prepared him for what he actually found at the bottom of that ravine.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 18





	After the Fall

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GreenDragonNinja](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenDragonNinja/gifts).



> CW: eye trauma
> 
> inspired by [this](https://twitter.com/beaknighted/status/1236082728925360128) incredible fanart that GreenDragonNinja sent me and then wouldn't shut up about until i indulged her. Anna, this is for you :3

The battle was never in their favor, not even from the start. Edelgard had months of planning on them, and they had a handful of knights and two thirds of the student body. Everyone knew deep down that a win was a long shot.

But then those strange mages showed up and he looked over just in time to watch their professor fall down the same chasm several Demonic Beasts had gone over only minutes earlier.

Something inside him snapped as the strange beast on their side let out a guttural screech.

Then several things happened at once.

Explosions rocked the ground and Imperial troops rushed forward, and he watched as the beast was quickly overwhelmed. He tried to run towards the cliffs but a pair of arms held him back.

“Let go of me!” he demanded. “We have to rescue the professor!”

“The archbishop has been captured and the professor is _gone_!” Felix snapped. “Stop fighting and _retreat with us_!”

He tried to break free but someone else grabbed him.

“Your Highness, the battle is lost. We need to retreat before Edelgard finds us.”

“Dedue, let me go-- put me down! That is an order!”

The boy had slung him over his shoulder and Dimitri could only watch in horror as the Imperial soldiers overtook the monastery and planted the flag of the Adrestian Empire. It was only then that the reality of the situation began to set in.

They’d lost, and the professor was gone.

All energy seemed to drain out of him and he stopped fighting back.

Dedue put him down as soon as the monastery was little more than a blur in the distance, but they continued to run. Annette was gasping for breath and he wished he hadn’t been so impulsive and abandoned his horse on the battlefield. Sylvain seemed to notice and offered her a ride, which she gratefully took.

When they finally stopped running, he wasn’t expecting a welcome party but somehow he was hoping for more than horrified looks. Then he realized a good portion of the town was now smoldering rubble and they’d brought more people to care for. He caught sight of Ashe and Sylvain and made his way over, putting back his shoulders. There was no time to lose his composure, not when others had lost so much more and expected him to lead them.

“What’s the status of things?”

“The townspeople are shaken, obviously, but there were only a few casualties. Rebuilding will be difficult but not impossible. We’re right on the border of the Empire so it’s likely we’ll be attacked again. We should help those who are hurt and immediately start fortifying the defenses,” Ashe said.

He drew back. “You seem rather well informed.”

“We’re near Gaspard territory,” he said quietly. “I used to come here with Lonato.”

“...Of course. Do the locals know you then?”

“A bit.”

“Good, they need something familiar at a time like this. Would you go around and check up on people? There’s no need to report back, just… talk to them. Sylvain, is Ingrid here too?”

“I saw her pegasus somewhere.”

“Find her and have her do the same. I need to find Mercedes and Annette and ask them to help with healing those who are hurt.”

“Of course, Your Highness. Thank you!” Ashe said brightly.

He offered a smile that he hoped didn’t look too forced and waited until they were out of sight before starting towards the main road.

He didn’t make it very far before Felix stopped him. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m checking on the townspeople and seeing what I can do to help.”

“Oh, my bad, that’s why you were heading towards the woods we just came out of. You were going back to the monastery, weren’t you?”

“Of course not--!”

“Of course not--!” he mimicked. “Just shut up. Are you truly so stupid that you would walk into an enemy’s trap, or did you have some kind of plan I’m missing?”

“I have no intention of fighting Edelgard or anyone else.”

“No, you want to look for the professor. Don’t give me that look, it’s written all over your face.”

“Felix, please,” he said quietly. “As my friend--”

“ _Don’t_ ,” he said sharply. “I may not give a damn if you run off and get yourself killed, but this kingdom won’t survive without you. Especially at a time like this. Besides,” he muttered, “we all saw her fall. No matter how good of a fighter you are, you can’t survive something like that. The only point in going back would be to look for her body.”

“You’re wrong--”

“No, you’re being delusional! It’s time to pull your head out of the clouds and realize what’s going on around here. We’re fighting a _war_ , and now you have to lead us. You can’t just run off to go hunting for a body that’s probably laying at the bottom of a cliff.”

“If you’re so certain she’s dead then we should at least give her a proper burial--”

“You don’t always get that! You think every so-called hero gets a big ceremony where their life is celebrated? Then why didn’t I get to see Glenn again? No, I got a sword and a bunch of empty words from people who didn’t give a damn about him! That’s what war is! And if you don’t realize that right here and now, we’re going to have a lot more bodies to deal with because you’re an incompetent leader and this is going to drag on longer than we thought.”

His shoulders slumped. “...You’re right. I cursed my age and wished I could help people without ascending the throne. This is my chance to do so.”

* * *

Most of his friends quickly returned to their own territories to help their parents. Annette and Mercedes stayed, both to help the villagers after the subsequent attacks by the Empire, and because they had nowhere else to go.

Dimitri knew he was supposed to go back to Fhirdiad and help his uncle in dealing with the war, but he had no interest in seeing that man again, and knew he likely felt the same way. He was content to remain in the village where he wasn’t the crown prince but simply a student. He enjoyed helping them fend off bandits and Imperial soldiers alike, and even befriended some of the children. They reminded him of the orphans he’d taught to fight, but also of himself, before Duscur. Before everything changed.

He was chopping firewood when the letter arrived, the messenger very out of breath. He took it from the man and the axe slipped from his hands as he read it.

He rushed into town and found Dedue in the kitchen with Annette, the two of them dealing with a small fire. The girl screamed as he calmly put a lid over the flaming pan.

“Your Highness, I didn’t hear you come in.”

“We need to leave,” he said sharply. “Now.”

“What happened?”

“I received an urgent summons to the capital from my uncle. The reason he gave was vague, but it’s likely in case the message was intercepted.”

“Are you sure? You two have never been close--”

“There’s no doubt it’s from him.”

“Very well. I will make plans and we can leave tomorrow at dawn.”

“There’s no time! The capital is in danger and I am not about to lose it to that woman!”

“...Of course. We can leave within the hour.”

He wanted to further argue but knew the boy was right. They needed to prepare, they couldn’t just walk across the kingdom without supplies.

He spent most of the hour pacing and fiddling with the straps on his armor, until Dedue showed up with two horses and a bag for each of them. “Fhirdiad awaits.”

They rode in near silence for the first two days, only making conversation when they had to. Dimitri was focused on reaching the capital and Dedue was never one to talk much in the first place. It wasn’t until the third day that he finally spoke up.

“Do you think the professor is really gone?”

The boy was silent, and he wasn’t sure he’d heard. “It would be best if you didn’t linger on such thoughts,” he said at last.

“That’s not what I asked,” he said, spurring his horse until they were riding side by side.

He seemed to be choosing his words carefully. “Our professor was stronger than anyone I’d ever met before. If anyone were to survive such a fall, it would be her. _However_ , I find it hard to believe that she lives. Even if the fall didn’t… We both saw those Demonic Beasts, and she was injured… and there was likely no way out of that chasm.”

“I knew we’d have to say goodbye after graduation,” he said quietly. “I just didn’t expect it to happen so soon. There were so many things I wished to share with her. She never even got to see Fhirdiad, or much of Fargheus at all.”

Dedue didn’t have an answer to that. Instead he stiffened up and Dimitri followed his line of sight and gasped.

Smoke in the distance. The capital was on fire.

* * *

“Prince Dimitri--!”

“His Highness is back--”

“Duke Rufus will be so pleased--!”

He had no time to deal with the people that crowded around him. He motioned for Dedue to follow and they headed for the castle, where a familiar face was waiting for them.

“Your Highness, how long we’ve awaited your return! Your uncle wishes to see you, of course. There’s so much to discuss.”

“I’ve no time for your antics, Cornelia,” he said darkly. “Where is my uncle?”

“In his study. Allow me to lead you while your horses are cared for, along with your vassal.” Her sweet smile wavered as she glanced at Dedue.

“He remains with me.”

“Your Highness, these are sensitive matters. I’m simply thinking of him.”

“Explain yourself. Immediately,” he demanded.

She glanced around them. “This would be better discussed inside.”

He clenched his fists. “Dedue, make sure the horses are taken care of. Then find me in my uncle’s study.”

“Your Highness--”

_“Please.”_

“...Of course.”

Cornelia smirked and led him inside. “I’m sure you know about your uncle and his involvement in Duscur--”

“His what?”

“Why, he planned the assassination of your father in an attempt to secure the throne. Rumors even say he meant for you to perish there as well.”

“You’re lying--”

“Did you truly not know? I assumed that’s why you returned to Fhirdiad!”

“You’re nothing but scum who’s manipulated your way into your position. You spew lies to get what you want. My uncle and I may not be close, but he would never have me killed. Let alone his own brother!”

“It’s only natural in this world we live in. He’s the elder of the two. The throne was going to be his, had he been born with a crest. But it was given to your father instead. Of course he wanted to take back what was rightfully his.”

He tried to steady his breathing to no avail. “I wish to speak to my uncle.”

“As I said, he’s up in his study waiting for you.”

He took a shaky breath and knocked on the door. “Uncle?”

“Dimitri!” he said brightly. “That is, Your Highness.”

“Are you aware of the rat problem in the city?” he asked, taking a seat.

The man looked nervous and Dimitri instinctively sat up straighter. “Rats, you say? I haven’t seen any.”

“I just passed one on my way here. I believe it was disguised as a mage in service here.”

He laughed. “Don’t mind Cornelia, she was just trying to get a rise out of you. Would you like some tea? You like chamomile, don’t you?”

He leaned forward. “I never mentioned Cornelia, nor the fact that I spoke to her.”

Rufus froze. “Why are you here, Dimitri?”

“I received your letter. You didn’t mention what was wrong but it seemed urgent.”

“My…? Oh, of course! I’d nearly forgotten I’d sent it! Everything has been sorted out now, I’m sorry to make you rush all the way out here.”

“And that’s why the kingdom is under attack by Imperial soldiers, and the streets are burning.”

“It’s all under control,” he assured him.

“...Yes, I’m sure it is.” He got up suddenly. “These past few days have been very tiring, I’d like to retreat to my room and we can discuss things tomorrow.”

“Pleasant dreams, Your Highness.”

The door closed and Rufus breathed a sigh of relief.

“Don’t get comfortable yet,” came a voice from behind him.

“Cornelia!” he cried, whipping around. “Must we do this? He’s still just a boy, we have another year before he can take the throne! We’re still in control here! There’s no need to _imprison him_. And on the charges of attempted regicide, no less?”

“You have the charges wrong,” she said. “There will be no _attempt_.”

“Then… we’re not imprisoning him?”

“I never said that.” She produced a dagger from behind her back and he paled. “The crown prince was the last to leave Duke Rufus’ study last night. It’s unknown what they discussed but several witnesses saw him looking absolutely furious, and the Duke’s body was discovered the next morning with a knife in his chest. It certainly wasn’t magic that killed him, and it would be all too easy for the prince to carry a weapon in on his person.”

“Cornelia, please--”

“It’s for the good of the kingdom.”

“Please--!”

She drove the knife in and his cries were cut short.

“You Blaiddyd men are all the same. Such miserable whelps, begging for your lives while your kingdom crumbles around you. To think that it only took the death of a few royals for the Empire to take control.”

* * *

“I don’t trust her,” Dimitri said for the fourth time that night.

“Your Highness, it’s late. I understand that you have a lot on your mind but you must sleep.”

“You weren’t there, Dedue! She said that my uncle… that he planned for Duscur to happen. That he wanted me to die there as well. I don’t want to believe her, and yet… I’ve seen what crests have done to this world. Miklan Gautier was disowned because he didn’t have one. My father was selected for the throne because he did.”

“Is that not what Edelgard was talking about when she declared war? Creating a world without crests?”

The boy was quiet for a minute. “I’m sorry,” he said at last. “I just feel as though we got so close to learning _something_ new about Duscur and about clearing your name, only to find that we’ve been led on this whole time by Cornelia.”

“I don’t blame you, Your Highness. I don’t blame any one person in particular for what happened in Duscur. It was… unfortunate, of course, but it’s not as though it was your fault. You saved me that day and prevented me from joining my brothers. You’ve nothing to apologize for. Now _please_ , stop overthinking things and go to sleep. You’ll need your wits about you if you’re to talk to your uncle tomorrow.”

“...Yes. Yes, of course. Thank you, Dedue.”

He listened as the other boy’s breathing evened out and eventually gave way to snores, but found that he couldn’t do the same. His mind was still racing with everything that had happened over the past week.

Just as he began to nod off, heavy footsteps rang out in the hall and he jolted upright. The door was forced open and he didn’t even have time to protest before he was shoved against the bed and his wrists were cuffed.

“What is the meaning of this?” he demanded.

Dedue had scrambled to his feet as soon as they’d entered the room but was being restrained as well.

“Prince Dimitri, you’re under arrest.”

“I am the crown prince of Fargheus, you will explain yourself immediately! On what charges?”

“For the murder of His Grace.”

His breath caught and he stopped fighting back long enough for them to overpower him. He heard the click of heels on the tile and struggled to see who it was. He got his answer as a gauntlet curled in his hair and forced his head up. Cornelia’s expression was unreadable.

“To think that the prince would resort to _regicide_. I had my suspicions after you left in a rush after our conversation about Duscur, but to think that you’d go this far. Did you kill him out of pure anger? Or was this… revenge for your family?”

“You miserable _wretch_!” he snarled. “You killed him, didn’t you?! We were both in your way so you killed him and put the blame on me!”

“Your Highness--!” Dedue cried.

He was far past the point of being talked down. With a strength even he didn’t know he had, he broke free and nearly reached Cornelia before being tackled again. He spat and smirked as it hit her shoe.

“His hysteria is all the evidence we should need. No innocent person would react in such a way.”

“I’ll have your head for this,” he said darkly. “I swear it!”

She glanced back at him and frowned before waving a hand over her tome. He was still spitting threats when the spell took hold. His vision started to fade and he only got out a choked noise before he went limp.

The men holding him shared a look. “Is he…?”

“Merely unconscious. Move him to the dungeon. You’ve seen his strength firsthand, so take extra precautions when restraining him.

Dedue, who had been watching in horror, finally snapped. He grabbed a lance off one of the men holding him--not his weapon of choice, but it would be enough--and charged.

Cornelia turned around and waved her hand again. He collapsed in front of her, dead weight, but not before the lance scratched her cheek. She grimaced and wiped a bit of blood away.

“Imprisoning him would be too kind. Shall we make an example of him and hang his body in the square? I’m sure everyone would be thrilled to know that another Duscur rat has been killed.”

* * *

He didn’t know how long he was down there. Time passed differently in the dungeons. There were no windows, and no sunlight with which to gauge the days. He couldn’t even base it on when he was fed, because he was fed once a day if he was lucky, likely under Cornelia’s orders. He knew the intent was to starve him and strip him of his strength. It wouldn’t matter anyway because he was so thoroughly chained he could do little more than shuffle around his cell. He slept the days away and was left wondering what was happening in the kingdom above him.

That day was like all the rest, in that he was torn from a nightmare by the sound of metal on metal. Two men in armor stood in front of him, instead of the usual one, and he dragged himself into a seated position. The first unlocked the cell and the man smirked.

“You know what’s happening, don’t you?”

The chains fell from his wrists and he was aware of just how _heavy_ they had been.

“Today’s the big day.”

He was hauled to his feet and pushed forward, and he stumbled into the other guard, who steadied him.

“Alright, get a move on,” the first guard snapped, and Dimitri staggered towards the stairs.

It was then that the man made his move, and grabbed a lance resting against the wall and drove it into the other’s chest without so much as a word of warning. Dimitri recoiled as the weapon was turned on him.

“Your Highness,” a familiar voice said.

“Dedue,” he nearly sobbed. “I thought you were _dead_.”

“They tried,” he said, removing his helmet to reveal a few scars.

“Why… Why did you kill him?”

“He would have alerted the guards had I not. We need to get out of here.” He unlocked the rest of the chains and Dimitri rubbed at his wrists.

“You could have incapacitated him, or just knocked him out!”

“Your Highness, we’re still at war. What good is the life of a single soldier when compared to the hundreds we’ve lost against Edelgard? Especially considering he’s spent the past month torturing you.”

He froze. “A… month?”

“I did my best to spring you as quickly as I could. Things have changed, although it’s probably easier to show you.” He produced a cloak from his bag. “Put that on and follow me. And stay quiet.”

He did as he was told and flinched as they stepped into the sunlight.

“They’re awaiting the execution of the prince,” he murmured. “Guards were sent to fetch you, as you know. Cornelia has all but given control of the kingdom to the empire.”

He swore under his breath. “What do we do now?”

“Get away from the capital and regroup. Several territories are still loyal to you, including Galatea and Fraldarius. And we should do so before everyone here realizes there won’t be an execution today.”

They wove through the crowd and had nearly made it when someone bumped into them. Dimitri tried to fix his hood but it was too late.

“The prince…?”

“Isn’t that Dimitri?”

“Why isn’t he up there?”

Word spread quickly and Dedue abandoned his disguise. “Run.”

“What?”

“Run!”

He did his best, but after being starved for a month his stamina was nothing like it used to be. He watched as Dedue got farther and farther ahead, and the soldiers behind him closed in. He was about ready to just accept his fate when a lance landed at his feet.

“I should hope a month in isolation wasn’t enough to make you forget all those years of training?”

“You mean all those times Gustave wiped the floor with me? Never,” he said, managing a small smile.

Dedue took up a fighting stance next to him and he did the same, everything coming back to him. The lance felt heavier than he remembered but he knew what he was doing, and that was what mattered.

Then the first soldiers were upon them and instinct took over. Any qualms he’d had about taking their lives disappeared as he found himself in a truly deadly situation for the first time since Duscur. His body moved on its own and adrenaline was all that fueled him as he cut them down. Dedue was handling himself as well and it almost seemed as though they had a fighting chance. He swung the lance at anything that moved and slowly drowned out the yells until all he could hear was his own breathing and his heartbeat in his ears.

Then he started to slip up as the fight dragged on and his hands shook. He got sloppy, missing shots he knew he should’ve landed, and an arrow pierced his leg. Dedue was struggling as well as more and more men joined in. A cut on his head was bleeding and his armor had several new dents in it.

“Your Highness, you need to retreat.”

“Not without you, and that’s not up for debate,” he said, jabbing a man in the thigh.

“The kingdom is split in two and it needs you to put it together again. You can unite everyone, or at least take on the territories that oppose you. Go to Fraldarius territory like I said, and Gautier and Charon.”

“And what about you?” he demanded. “Do you intend to die here?”

“Not if it can be helped.” He knocked a nearby soldier off their horse and drove his weapon through their chest. “Now go, before we both fall here!”

“I told you, I’m not leaving without you!”

He lifted the boy and put him on the horse, despite his protests. “Go!”

The horse took off and Dimitri could only watch as Dedue took a blow from behind. He tried to steer the animal back but it ignored him, frightened by all the chaos. He was frightened as well.

* * *

Cornelia sneered as they maneuvered around the bodies. “What a mess. Did you see the look in his eyes? He _relished_ killing them, soldiers and civilians alike.”

“The prince fled on horseback. Should we go after him?”

“No, the empire can’t find out about this little… incident. He suffered heavy injuries, did he not? He’ll succumb to his wounds and our problem will be dealt with. As for this one…” She stood over Dedue, who was bleeding heavily and gasping for breath. “I thought we already killed this Duscur rat. They’re more resilient than we thought.”

She motioned for a soldier to pass her a lance and she drove it through his stomach without a second glance.

“Now we won’t have to worry about him either. Let’s get this mess cleaned up before our Imperial guests show up.”

“And… the prince’s body? Won’t they ask to see it?”

“We killed him with magic and it burned up after being starved for so long. A pity, as we intended to make an example out of him, but it couldn’t be helped.”

* * *

He didn’t know where he was going. All that mattered was getting away from the capital, and his horse didn’t seem inclined to listen to his commands.

As the danger faded and no soldiers chased after him, he found that he couldn’t fight it anymore. His head slipped more and more and eventually he nodded off.

When he came to he thought he was still in a nightmare, the building sprawled out in front of him.

Garreg Mach Monastery.

He slid off the horse and fell to his knees. After everything that had happened, all of his plans to leave everyone and return, and everything that had happened since then…

He dragged himself to his feet and slowly ventured inside. There were no fires lit in the halls, but things were only coated in a fine layer of dust. Imperial soldiers had likely been using it as a base before Cornelia defected and they no longer had to worry about Fargheus.

He wound up in the dining hall and almost felt guilty about going behind the counter to look for food before the absurdity of the situation hit him. _We’re in the middle of a war._

He found little more than some stale bread and vegetables that looked far past their prime. He was almost glad he’d lost his sense of taste as he choked it down.

After he finished his meal, he started towards the gate. Clouds had been rolling in since he’d arrived and it looked as though it would rain at any moment, but he’d waited too long to be stopped by a little weather. He immediately went to the cliff and took a few steadying breaths. He wasn’t sure which outcome he’d prefer: finding a body or finding nothing at all.

His stomach threatened to bring back up what he’d just ate and he finally gathered up enough courage and looked over the edge to find…

Rocks and rubble. There were no Demonic Beasts, dead or otherwise. And no professor.

His shoulders slumped and he was about to go back inside when something caught his eye. A piece of black fabric caught under some debris.

_It’s probably nothing_ , he tried to reason. _Just part of a soldier’s uniform._

And yet he couldn’t shake the other voice in his head, the one that wasn’t calling for revenge.

He carefully made his way down the cliff and reached the spot where he thought he saw it.

_Probably just my mind playing tricks on me_ , he thought bitterly. _I’ve been so wound up for so long._

Then he saw it again. He moved the rocks and his breath caught. More than just a scrap of fabric, it was an arm. _It was his professor’s arm._

He started furiously digging her out, not even feeling the pain as the sharp stones dug into his hands. At last he uncovered her and felt a lump rise in his throat. She was… warm, and her color hadn’t faded nearly as much as the corpses he was used to. He cradled her body and finally broke down in tears as the rain began.

He froze as he held her close. She was _breathing_ somehow. He frantically checked for a pulse and nearly dropped her.

She wasn’t dead.

_She was alive._

She was… asleep?

His exhaustion seemed to disappear as adrenaline took over again. He needed to get her out of the rain. He hadn’t checked most of the monastery so he had no idea where to put her.

_Out of the rain. Then you can think._

He lifted her with ease and he realized just how _light_ she was. It was clear some kind of magic was keeping her alive, but did that mean she’d spent the past two months in that chasm?

He had so many questions and no way to get the answers.

He settled on putting her in what he believed was Edelgard’s room. As much as he despised the thought, it was the only room in both floors of dormitories that wasn’t completely ransacked. He’d put her somewhere better once he cleaned up.

He ran a hand along her cheek and froze as he realized it left a bloody streak. He was still hurt. He tore a strip of fabric off his shirt and wrapped his hand.

“Professor,” he breathed. He didn’t want to leave her alone. Not after everything he’d gone through to reach her again.

It was then that he studied her closely. Her pulse was strong and her breathing regular, which alleviated some of his worries. He fought the urge to shake her, knowing it would do nothing. Forces he didn’t understand were at work.

“Think, Dimitri,” he muttered. “This isn’t some fairy tale where true love’s kiss will break the spell, there must be logic behind this.” There was so much to do and he didn’t even know where to begin.

_Cleaning_ , he decided. _Getting her into her own room._

He still hesitated.

_She’ll be fine. She lasted two months already, didn’t she? She won’t just stop breathing because you looked away._

And yet he couldn’t entirely shake the feeling that he needed to watch over her.

* * *

“Good morning, professor!” he said cheerily, carrying a tray into her room. He’d quickly learned she didn’t need to eat, and so he brought his breakfast so he could stay by her.

“I have something for us to try this morning,” he continued. “Those seeds I planted in the greenhouse finally sprouted. The library has a few books on herbology and of the passages that weren’t burnt or torn, several mentioned that this plant has many medicinal properties. It took quite a few tries because I underwatered the first batch and overwatered the second and stepped on the third and… well, you get the point. But it’s ready now.”

He poured the mixture into a cup and sat her up, tilting her head back. He’d gotten quite good at not spilling things after many disastrous attempts. A trail of the liquid slipped from the corner of her mouth and he wiped it up quickly.

He waited a few minutes before sighing. “That’s all right, I’m sure we’ll find something else.”

The days passed much faster once he had something to focus on. He spent most of his time cleaning up the monastery and researching new ways to wake her, and found that the voices in his head had quieted down. Things were… nice.

* * *

He hunched over a book in the corner of the room, the candles barely casting enough light to see. The words made no sense no matter how many times he read them. _If only Mercedes or Annette were here, he thought. They understand magic far more than me._

He closed the book and recited the incantation as best he could. Nothing changed and he swore under his breath and brushed his hair out of his face.

“Why didn’t I study harder?” he muttered. “It never even occurred to me I’d face a problem I couldn’t face with a lance or a speech, and yet here I am.” He turned to her still form. “If only you were able to teach me. I understood everything you said, no matter the subject.”

He opened the book again and his vision swam as he studied the glyphs.

_Stop wasting your time with this. Go after Edelgard,_ Glenn said from the corner.

_Kill her,_ his father added. _Do it for us._

He clamped his hands over his ears. “Be _quiet_.”

* * *

Bandit attacks were common. He’d moved her to the archbishop’s room after the first few because he could see everything from the balcony. That day was no different and he fought them off with ease, their bodies littering the courtyard.

He returned to the room to find her breathing uneven and her eyes fluttering. He was at her side in an instant and he grabbed her hand. A nightmare.

Did that mean she dreamt? He supposed it would be boring if she didn’t.

She showed no signs of calming down and he grabbed her and buried his face in her neck. “Professor, you’re safe.”

He wished he could do _anything_ to help her, but all he could do was ride out the storm. She settled down eventually and he readjusted the blanket on her.

“Why won’t you wake up?” he asked, his voice breaking. “Haven’t I done enough? What more do you want from me?”

_Kill her. Get your revenge._

“You’re not like them,” he said, his voice shaking. “You don’t demand things of me. You don’t scream and plead for that monster’s head.”

* * *

He stepped back and waited for the spell to take effect. _It should be perfect this time. I’ve been practicing for months._

When it didn’t he sunk to his knees. That was his last attempt. He was out of ideas. “Professor, please,” he begged. “Give me some kind of sign as to what I should do. Anything! Something to tell me which direction to go in!”

He swallowed thickly and watched the steady rise and fall of her chest.

“Are you… Are you like them after all? Is it her head you want? Will killing her bring you back to me?”

_Kill her. Kill her._

The cries only got louder and he couldn’t drown them out no matter how hard he tried.

“Shut up!” he screamed, his voice cracking. “Just shut up! You’ve bothered me for five years but I can’t _take it anymore!_ ”

_Kill her._

_Kill her._

_Kill her._

He grabbed the knife from his earlier meal and held it with shaking hands.

“I don’t want to see you anymore,” he whispered. “Not like this.”

_Kill her._

_Kill her._

_Kill--_

He drove the knife into his eye and an unholy shriek clawed its way out of his throat. The pain was unlike anything he’d felt before. He dropped the knife as his vision went white and he stumbled into the bed. Something dripped onto his hands but he wasn’t sure if it was blood or tears or something else entirely. Then his vision began to go dark.

When he came to, his head was throbbing. He could barely stand to open his eyes and he fumbled around for the tome he’d dropped earlier.

_Healing spell, healing spell…_

He found it and recited the incantation, and immediately passed out again.

He slipped in and out of consciousness for awhile, only able to focus on the light streaming through the window. When he was finally able to stay awake, the first thing he noticed was how dark it had gotten.

Then the dull ache in his eye.

Then the fact that he couldn’t hear the voices, or anything else. For the first time in five years, things were completely silent.

* * *

He winced as he wrapped the wound on his arm. _Careless_ , he thought bitterly. _Utterly careless. I should’ve seen that bandit coming from a mile away._

He slowly moved his hand until it disappeared from his view. He wasn’t sure how much of his field of vision he’d lost, but it was enough that he’d have to relearn how to fight. His mind wandered again and he wished he had anyone else with him. Felix or Dedue were ideal sparring partners, both of them willing to use their full strength against him for their own reasons. Sylvain or Ingrid were also high on his list because of their shared history, regardless of Ingrid’s nagging or Sylvain’s… habits. Then probably Ashe or Mercedes because they were both so cheerful and managed to make him smile on even his darkest days. He even would’ve taken Annette, for how clumsy she was.

He hadn’t heard from any of them in years. He didn’t even know if they were still in their respective territories, or if they’d been forced to flee. He only had his professor--a body without a voice--and the ghosts in his head--voices without bodies.

He slowly curled his hand into a fist. He knew what he had to do. He’d known for awhile.

He’d go to Enbarr and kill Edelgard himself, since it was clear nobody else was going to.

Except… he couldn’t leave his professor behind. Not when it was clear the monastery was still being targeted by thieves and Imperial soldiers alike. And yet he couldn’t take her with him.

He paced back and forth, chewing on his lip until he tasted blood. “What do you want me to do?” he asked her. “Leave you for the bandits to find? Or bring you along and let you get captured by that _woman_ and her soldiers?”

He tried to steady his shaking hands.

“This is your fault,” he muttered. “I could’ve gone after her a hundred times by now if you weren’t here. Instead I’m _stuck here_ , unable to do anything more than watch over you while the others scream at me for her head. Why do you make this so difficult? Haven’t I done enough for you? Caring for you day after day, trying everything I could to wake you, keeping you safe from those who want to hurt you. You’ve given me _nothing_!” He drove his hand into the wall and heard something in his hand snap, but he barely felt the pain. “Answer me, dammit! What should I do now?!”

There was no response and he slid to the floor, all energy seeming to drain from him.

“I don’t want to leave you behind,” he said weakly. “I just don’t know what to do. I can’t just _wait here_ for her to take over the rest of the Kingdom. Maybe she already has and I’m just not aware yet. Maybe it’s only a matter of time until she comes for the monastery as well.”

He was silent for awhile.

“Maybe… it would be better to wait for her here, and prepare an attack on territory we already know.”

_You know what you have to do,_ Glenn said in his ear.

“I can’t just leave her.”

_She’s dragging you down._

“...She’s the only thing keeping me afloat,” he mumbled.

* * *

He was pacing in the entrance hall when he heard the voices. He rushed to the second floor and saw soldiers approaching, and his hands curled into fists at his side. He grabbed his lance from its resting place and started towards the gate.

He was going to take his time with these. It had been so long since he’d gotten a chance to hunt.

Besides, it wasn’t as though he had to worry about the professor anymore. It was clear she wasn’t going to wake up.

* * *

She woke up screaming.

_Nemesis-- no, the Flame Emperor--_

Her breath came in gasps and it took her awhile to realize she was no longer on the battlefield. No, she was… in bed?

She closed her eyes and tried to remember the last thing that had happened.

_We were fighting Edelgard, and those mages--_

A sharp pain ran up her entire body and ended in her head, and she winced. It was clear the memories weren’t going to come back if she forced them. She wasn’t sure how she’d wound up in her room, but she knew someone would have answers.

She slid out of bed and nearly collapsed. Her legs felt weak and she practically crawled to the desk until she could reach the chair and drag herself up. Where was Rhea? Or Manuela? Or any of her students? Why did the hall seem so dark? Why couldn’t she hear anything?

No, she could hear… fighting? Her head ached but she forced herself into the hall and immediately froze. Dust coated every surface and the once-pristine halls looked as though a battle had been fought in them. She stepped over rubble and made her way to the dining hall out of habit.

The monastery seemed abandoned, and she certainly hadn’t seen anyone, yet she found jerky and some bruised vegetables that were by no means stale. Where was everyone? And what had happened after that battle?

* * *

Dimitri didn’t bother wiping the blood off of his lance and instead just put it back in the corner. He found himself going to her room instinctively and stopped outside her door.

_This is pointless_ , he thought bitterly.

He tried to walk away but something stopped him and he turned the knob to find that it swung open with no resistance. It hadn’t been latched to begin with.

Her bed was empty.

She was gone.

* * *

She wandered the monastery, trying to piece together everything that had happened. It was clear that most of the students and staff were gone, if not all of them. She found lances scattered around, some with blood on them. And yet… she got the feeling she wasn’t in any danger, seeing as the stranger hadn’t killed her while she was asleep.

There were footprints in the dust and she followed them outside, where a light rain was falling. She froze as the drops hit her skin and thought she heard laughter behind her, but no one was there when she looked.

_What would your students think if they saw you now? Their fearless professor, spooked by a little rain._

She smiled at the thought. Her smile quickly faded as a familiar smell reached her.

Blood.

She followed it down the hill, where she found a series of bodies in Imperial uniforms. They seemed fresh, too, only a few hours old at most. She felt as though she was going to be sick.

She needed to get away from them, and out of the rain.

* * *

He searched the monastery in a panic, but couldn’t find her anywhere.

Had a soldier managed to get past him while he was dealing with the others? Had they stolen his professor away, just as he feared for so long? He supposed it didn’t matter. Not anymore. It was clear she was gone, and he had nothing left. It had all been for naught.

His mind was elsewhere as he walked, and he didn’t even realize where he was until he reached the top of the stairs.

The Goddess Tower.

The memories all came rushing back and he stumbled to the corner and slid to the ground. He had his lance poised to fight off any soldier he may have missed, but his head felt foggy and he could barely keep his eyes open. After being on high alert for so long, the strength had finally left him now that he had nothing to protect.

He must have nodded off, because he was woken up by footsteps and he had his lance at the ready in an instant. He watched as the figure stepped into the light and his breath caught.

She stumbled forward and he turned away. “I should’ve known that one day you would be haunting me as well. I just didn’t expect it to be so soon.”

She just stood there, her eyes wide, and his lips curled back in a snarl. “I thought you were different, that you weren’t like the rest of them, but I see you’re just the same. I’ll bring you her head if it silences you, I swear. Just leave me alone!”

“Dimitri,” she said finally, and her voice cracked. His head snapped up as he realized she was on the verge of tears.

The ghosts in his head didn’t cry.

She was awake, and in front of him, and _alive_.

All of the feelings he’d been ignoring for the past five years came rushing up at once and he wasn’t quite sure if he was supposed to laugh in disbelief, or yell at her for everything she’d put him through, or simply cry.

Instead he settled on a whispered _“Professor.”_

**Author's Note:**

> i immediately put 170 hours into three houses, realized all of the paths blended together in my mind, and then wrote this over the course of about a week and abandoned it for a month and a half. i don't regret any of it. dimitri is a very interesting character and i wish IntSys weren't cowards and told us how he lost the eye.
> 
> i will now never write for fire emblem again because i never want to deal with the distinction of titles like baron and margrave and duke and what have you.


End file.
